News Coverage

The 2023 Military Health System Research Symposium recognized innovative researchers focused on enhancing warfighter health. Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, the Department of Defense's assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, presented the awards to the winning individuals and teams. Dr. Rudy P. Rull and the Millennium Cohort Program team were recognized as the premier longitudinal research program of warfighter, veteran, and military family health and wellbeing. Sponsored by both the DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the program is an active collaborative effort between researchers from the Naval Health Research Center, the Veterans Health Administration, and multiple military, academic, and nongovernmental research organizations.

The Millennium Cohort Program Team was awarded the award for Outstanding Research Accomplishment (Team Military) at the 2023 MHSRS Conference.

The presence of insomnia following trauma has been linked to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women service members, according to study results presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, held from June 3 to 7 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The results of a new study are confirming the lasting impacts that military service can have on a person's health and wellness.

Military personnel exposed to repeated blasts, including those experienced during combat deployments and heavy weapons training, may have elevated risks of migraines, PTSD, depression, hearing loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other conditions, according to a new study by researchers from the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC). These findings were recently published in Frontiers in Neurology.

A study of Global War on Terror veterans found that those who deployed were at less risk of dying from cancer than their fellow troops who didn’t deploy, possibly because those sent overseas were healthier in the first place, according to a paper published Wednesday in the the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

The Defense Department launched a survey to assess the health and well-being of military-connected youth and their families. SOAR is embedded within the larger DOD Millennium Cohort Study of active-duty, reserve and National Guard service members and veterans, which began in 2001. The approximately 40,000 service members and veterans enrolled in MCS who have adolescent children will receive a packet in the mail inviting them, their child and the other parent, if applicable, to fill out individual online surveys.

In August 2021, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a policy change affecting millions of veterans.

American service members whose anger causes them significant distress and decreased function (problematic anger) during their transition to civilian life may have a higher risk of mental health conditions such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a study in JAMA Network Open has found. The results also suggest that service members who have problematic anger during the transition are more likely to have difficulty in their relationships and experience financial instability.

The Millennium Cohort Study is the largest and longest-running health study in US military history. Findings from the Study document not only the potential long-term health impacts of military service, but also the resilience of service members.

The largest and longest-running health research in military history will soon embark on a study of military-connected adolescents. The Study of Adolescent Resilience, or SOAR, aims to capture the experiences of military-connected adolescents and their parents, to help inform the services provided by military family readiness programs.

For the past 20 years – and longer before that – service members have returned from deployment talking about mental health concerns and illness they believed were linked to their time in the military, with many of their concerns backed by a variety of studies. Now, a study that has been following military personnel, both active-duty and veterans, for 20 years supports the theory that experiencing combat can lead to adverse physical and health effects.

New research shows nearly a quarter of vets suffer from the ringing in the ears.

A study of more than 250,000 service members begun in 2001 released some preliminary findings on Friday, to celebrate the effort’s 20th anniversary.

On Aug. 2, 2021, VA announced it would begin processing disability claims for asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis based on presumed particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia and certain other areas if these conditions manifested within 10 years of a qualifying period of military service. Much of the data for this significant decision came from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a partnership between the VA Office of Research and Development’s Cooperative Studies Program and the Department of Defense.

Funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) will support four projects investigating possible connections between toxic environmental factors and Parkinson’s disease, including those encountered in military service and daily life exposure to pesticides and air pollution.

Both the PTSD Checklist-Civilian and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 versions successfully assessed the disorder among veteran and military populations, according to results of a diagnostic study published in JAMA Network Open.

Deployed military service members who experience certain types of combat events or are exposed to high levels of combat may be at a higher risk of suicide attempt, researchers found in a study published in JAMA Network Open.

Service members, check your email for an invitation to participate in a survey that will help researchers track health risks of deployment, military occupations and general military service for decades.

A successful transition from the military to civilian life is important for servicemembers and their families, and the Department of Defense is constantly seeking improvement in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).